Happy Miehls

Halloween and Hobbies

2009-11-08T20:20:00.001-05:00

Halloween has come and gone...whew!!! We had a great time trick or treating, despite the periods of rain and drizzle. Our princess tuckered out after an hour of going house-to-house. Here are some photos from Halloween week:

And.....

I started the Wilton class series at Joann craft store this week, it's so exciting! Sad I know, but it is fun. The first class was this week and was purely a demonstration class. Our homework was to go home and experiment with making icing, and all of the supplies in our starter kit. Morgan helped me with my first cake- be kind, it is my first try!!

Chris Farley/ David Spade and DirecTV controversy

2009-10-27T21:42:00.000-04:00

Tonight I was reviewing the updates on my igoogle home page and came across some controversy regarding the new DirecTV ad featuring a piece of one of my favorite movies, "Tommy Boy". It seems some are offended that DirecTV is using a clip from the movie that includes one of my favorite comedians, Chris Farley. Those of you who are fans know that Chris Farley died in 1997 (?) due to cardiac arrest from a drug overdose. For us fans, it was a great loss. And for non-fans, also a loss because they didn't get to live through his comedy, but at least you can all watch his movies and SNL reruns. HILARIOUS.
Remember "I am El Nino. All other tropical storms can bow before 'El Nino'. 'El Nino' is Spanish for....'The Nino'"?
How about Matt Foley, the Motivational Speaker who lived in a van down by the river and lived on a steady diet of government cheese?
When I saw the DirecTV clip, it just made me smile and remember all of the great characters Chris Farley played in his day.
Anyway, here is the clip of the new commercial. Judge for yourself.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/27/farley.directtv.commercial/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn

I would embed the video but I'm not sure how to do that yet!!!

Little Blessing

2009-10-25T11:35:00.000-04:00

Maggie has been trying to say the Blessing with us before dinner ever since she could talk. She has it almost down! This one was just for fun, she was a little distracted by the peanut butter playdough, but you get the idea. It's just so CUTE!!!! Of course, I am a little partial.

Rainy Sick Day

2009-10-25T01:03:00.000-04:00

Something bad came over our place this past week. Last weekend was great, we had the Mattison kids over the weekend and a lot of fun was had. We went to Hands on House and spent time watching baseball and football with Mom & Dad. Kids crafts and baking was also part of the weekend.

On Sunday evening, though, Maggie started to drag. She was sick until Tuesday, then Matt was next. I managed to hold out until Friday afternoon. In all, we've gone through Tylenol, prescription antibiotics, 3 boxes of tissues, about 10 cans of soup, a loaf of bread, 1/2 a bottle of handsoap, and 3/4 can of Lysol this week. Whew.

Since today was recovery day, and it was pouring down rain, we had a stay-in-your-pj day, which was GREAT! It was just what the Dr. ordered. There was a lot of sleeping, playing (quiet games), and just resting in general. But....we did manage to do a couple of fun things: Maggie and I made peanut butter playdough. I first saw this on Jon & Kate Plus 8 (the episodes when Jon was actually human) and found the recipe online today. Then, we made Maggie's dinner- bloody bandaged fingertips. Pretty gross but very Halloween-like.

The Past Year

2009-10-25T00:47:00.000-04:00

So, to summarize what has gone on over the past year:

Maggie turned into a little girl- she is potty trained, knows her alphabet and colors, loves princess anything (I have no clue why!!) and has grown out of Elmo, sleeps in a toddler bed, and wears a size 3 or 4T clothes.

Kelly- now drives a mini van (gasp!), uses a Garmin (double gasp- technology!), and I guess that's about it.

Matt- started making beer, and still trying to convince Kelly we need to get a 50 inch plasma TV. The debate goes on. Are we living in a movie theater?

We managed to take a short trip to Chincoteague this summer, it was relaxing and wonderful, we had a great weather, rode our bikes everywhere, and discovered Maggie truly has no fear of the ocean. AND Matt managed to scrounge up a couple of nice conche shells due to Hurricane Bill passing through- the surf was really churned up.

Matt continues to take grad classes and fingers crossed will have his MA by this summer.

Kelly continues to work for the Department of Aging- over 5 years and still going!

There were so many things that have gone on since we stopped blogging....sooooo....we're just going to start going forward today!

Uh, what happened?

2009-10-15T19:54:00.000-04:00

So as you can see, we have neglected our blog. Seriously neglected it. Over one whole year of events has happened since we...ahem...I, pledged it keep the blog going. What happened, you ask? I'll tell you- Facebook, that's what happened. A friend introduced me to it and I was hooked and still am. It has become way to easy to keep up with people on FB. But alas, I again am heading back to the blog. Let's see how this goes.

Closing a Great Summer

2008-09-01T22:23:00.001-04:00

This summer has been so much fun, it's hard to sum it up in words. But I will try with pictures! Maggie is now 18 months old. Some of the words she can now say inlcude: Mom or Mommy, Daddy, juice, pease (please), da (dog), ha (hot), Poppy, Bay (for Bailey). She also counts "one, two, tree!". By far her favorite word though, is NO! Which she manages to scream at the top of her lungs at the most unopportune times... Church, for example. How about a nice leisurely breakfast at Cracker Barrel? Don't even think about it with an 18 month old. Something about that place just throws her off. It's like we pull in the parking lot and Maggie gets this impish grin (some may call it a snarl).

Anyway, we managed to do a lot of fun things this summer, most importantly, just being together. We went to a carnival, visited our extended family at a cabin on the Loyalsock, made a trip to Erie to see Aunt Meghan's new house, had one visit from Grammy and one visit from Grammy & Grandpa, camped at 3 family reunions, and spent a week at Chincoteague Island with Gramma & Poppy, Aunt Megan & Uncle Rick, and Morgan & Bailey.

Lounging with Dad

Visit from Grammy

Mags & Mom

Eating chips & salsa with Poppy & Great Uncle Mike

Visit from Grandpa
Roller Coaster with Bailey
Too cute to pass up!

Maggie & Dad in Erie
She's smiling...we'll have to show her this when she's 13.

Helping Mom sort recipes

Maggie, Bailey & Morgan at Mr. Whippy in Chincoteague

Beach Pictures

In all, it was a good summer. Matt starts back to school tomorrow, and the period of mourning for summer he experienced this year seemed to be shorter than years before. He will be teaching the same courses he had last year, so he's all set. He's also taking grad courses, so we expect fall to be quite busy. This summer Matt really seemed to find enjoyment in woodworking; he built a nightstand to match the one we already have in the bedroom,he also built some extra storage in the basement. He and Dad also installed railing and bannister on our front porch.

I continue to work for Uppercase Living. Let me know if you want to book a party or place an order! I did run a 5K on July 4th, and I have two more coming up, one this Friday and one at the end of September. I'm also going to take a Yogalates class (1/2 Yoga, 1/2 Pilates) once a week, so that should be fun.

Hope everyone is doing well and you enjoyed catching up with us!

Sunny Days

2008-06-04T20:02:00.000-04:00

We took advantage of the beautiful weather this past weekend and had a picnic. Mom, Maggie, Matt & I went to Marsh Creek and had a picnic while watching the many boats out on the water. It was such a nice and sunny day, we just had to be outside! Here are some pictures:

Maggie and Matt also had some time in the pool this week:

Wow

2008-05-31T01:42:00.000-04:00

Well, I haven't been keeping up with this blog like I had imagined I could....and I fear with summer approaching it will be even more difficult! Today Matt is at the Phillies game so I now have time to write....and of course I'm going to write about Maggie!

Ms. Maggie Jane has such a great personality, but she is getting that Fisher-girl stubbornness I fear (for those of you who did not know me back then, yes, my maiden name is Fisher). I can't and won't even pretend that her stubborn side comes from Matt! Her favorite word right now is "no". Although she has picked up "wow" which is pretty funny. I love that Verizon commercial with that stupid flea that says "wow" and we're always mocking and laughing at it when it's on, and Maggie seems to have picked up on it and thinks it's pretty funny too. Hopefully we'll get it on video at some point.

Her favorite trick right now seems to be backing her little butt onto anything that even remotely resembles a seat and sitting down on it. Hence the pictures of her in her rocking chair that Kim got her and the other one of her in Bailey's Elmo chair which he so kindly shared with her.

Maggie is getting so tall! I wonder where that comes from? She loves to be and play outside, no matter what we are doing. Matt & I got bikes last weekend and we got an iBert bike seat for Maggie, which sits on the handlebars. It's nice because as you're riding you can talk to the kid. When we went out for the first time we biked part of the Struble Trail and had so much fun- Maggie was leaning back and kissing me and clapping through the bike ride!

Anyway, here are some recent pictures. Enjoy.

Need to Catch Up!!

2008-04-27T23:41:00.000-04:00

We really need to play some catch-up with this blog. It's bound to get busier as the spring moves on and we get into summer....then we'll really be busy & get behind!

Let's start with our trip to Erie. Last weekend we went to Erie to visit the Miehl family. It was a nice trip, we even had great sunny weather! We made a trip to the Erie zoo and even had a get together with the Anderson cousins. I was able to visit Pleasant Ridge Manor and some former coworkers, and have a nice long "coffee talk" that night with Kathy, whom I don't get to spend enough time with! Here are some photos from that trip:

Today Matt & I went to Philadelphia for the day. The plan was to see the Star Wars exhibit at the Franklin Institute, but when we got there at 11am the only time we could get into the show was 4pm. We kept ourselves busy by walking....and walking...and walking....from the FI all the way to Old City and Independence Hall.

The best part of the Star Wars exhibit was the characters walking around. We actually heard a little boy ask one of the Storm Troopers "are you here to invade the Rebel base?" Yes, he was very serious when he asked this. Also when Matt had his picture taken with bounty hunter Boba Fett (I have no idea how to spell this) the guy called Matt a Wookie. I guess he is tall, but he's not that hairy!

This picture I had to add because it's just too funny not to:

What Happened to Our Baby?

2008-04-15T23:13:00.000-04:00

When I was pregnant, I can't tell you how many times I was told "it'll go by so fast". And now that we're living it, I see how true it is. It seems like one night Maggie went to bed a baby and the next day she woke up a toddler. She's walking and running, saying her version of "thank you" and giving kisses. She says "Mama" and her favorite word, "Dada", and "dog". Her newest thing is spoon feeding herself, which she does when she feels like it. And she loves pudding! She loves carrying blankets around with her, especially the one she sleeps with, but she will even go so far as to take off of you the blanket you are using! She also loves electronics of all kinds- cell phones, calculators, computers, and remotes, and she knows which ones are the toys and which ones are real. She is a purse lady too, always taking my purse and carring it around with her. It's so cute.

Maggie is still mostly easy-going and laid back, and a very happy little girl, but she has that Fisher-girl temper that I can't even pretend could have come from Matt's family! I hope to teach her how to turn that around into becoming a strong advocate for herself and for others who can't or don't speak for themselves.

Each stage she goes through seems more and more fun, and there are days we are still astounded that we created this beautiful girl.

Just By a Hair....

2008-03-31T00:05:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a big day for us. Maggie had her first haircut! We do want her to grow it out but unfortunately this first round of "real hair" that has sprouted from her head was just too fuzzy & fine to do anything with. Even after it was combed it sprang back up and just wouldn't stay put. So we decided to get her hair trimmed with the hopes it grows in nicer....who knows. We took Mags to this newer kids-haircut place called Snip It's- it was pretty neat and well worth the experience. While the hairdresser snipped away, Maggie was entranced by the other little kids in the store. She is such a people watcher.

It's nice to actually see her beautiful face now! We never ever get tired of people remarking how cute she is......

Happy Easter.....and More!

2008-03-25T00:22:00.000-04:00

What an eventful few days we have had here at the Miehl household! Our Easter weekend celebration started Thursday night with the arrival of cousins from Meadville, Barry, Tricia, Brighton & Caleb. The rest of the "Dave Anderson" crew was spread out at my parents' house and Megan & Rick's house for the weekend. Good Friday the Barry Anderson & Miehl crew made it to Chucky Cheese, which was a surprisingly fun and non-sticky experience (my memories of Chucky Cheese are of snot-nosed kids running around barefoot on gross carpet). Saturday started off with Bailey's birthday party...yes, he is 2 years old!! After the Elmo-fest at Bailey's party all the kids (and admittedly so, most of the parents) took naps and then it was on to Mom & Dad's for an egg hunt, decorating eggs, and fun. On Sunday we all went to church together, had lunch at Mom & Dad's and then the Andersons headed home for their long drives. I have tried to choose just the very best pictures but it's hard to narrow down!! The entire weekend was hectic and at times chaotic but so much fun- those mental snapshots keep me smiling still.

Our Day Today

2008-03-16T00:37:00.000-04:00

Happy at Breakfast

Funny Face for the Camera!

Shopping

Nap in car, yes she took off her shoes & socks

Maggie playing

Matt playing

Maggie & Molly

Naked Girl

Bath Time

Couch-to-5K

2008-03-09T23:50:00.000-04:00

By letting you all in on my newest committment to myself, my hope is that making this public will help encourage me to keep at it. Ever heard of Couch-to-5K running program? It's basically a smart method to get yourself up and running- starting out slow and working your way up to a 5K. If you're interested, the link is http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml . Since having the baby I have recommitted to myself to get into shape; the weight is coming off :) but I also want to be a healthy role model for Maggie. Running is not really my thing, and I hope my knees can take it. I'm starting out on the treadmill, in the hopes it is kinder to my knees than the sidewalks. Wish me luck & encouragement, all you runners!

Molly the Cat-Dog

2008-03-08T11:59:00.000-05:00

Over the last week, our very energetic and happy dog, Molly, morphed into a Cat-Dog. What does this mean? As I was preparing to leave the house for work one day this week, I heard a crash down in the basement. I ran down to see what Molly got into, and found her sitting proudly over a dead baby mouse. I can handle a lot of things but for some reason the sight of a mouse turns my knees into jello. After I finished the first round of screaming, I ran upstairs to try and gather my thoughts, all the while realizing there was a good chance the dog would have eaten the little mouse by the time I got back downstairs. This thought just led me to freak even more and my body was literally shaking. The only rational thought was to call Matt (who was on his way to school) and see if he had suggestions. The problem was, he didn't pick up, so the message I left for him was a great one- part laughing, part screaming, crying a little, trying to get the words out of my mouth. I can only imagine his face when he heard the message!

I managed to put on my oven mitts and get a broom and venture back downstairs and get rid of the mouse. I choose not to think about this part because it still freaks me out. If there had been a camera on me we surely would have won on America's Funniest Home Videos.

This may seem like a strange happening to some of you, but such is the life at 3 Court Drive. If you have a mouse problem, let me know and I'll send Cat-Dog over. No charge. Just don't expect me to come along.

Maggie Turns One

2008-03-05T23:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, Maggie turned 1 on February 18, 2008. No, we can't believe how fast time has gone by. When you're a new parent, many people like to tell you (multiple times) how fast kids grow up, but until you've lived it, you don't get it. We get it now. I remember when we first brought Maggie home from the hospital and it seemed like all she did was sleep, eat & poop, and I recall Matt asking, "when is she going to do something?" Well, now she's doing many "somethings". Yes, time has gone by quickly but we really take pride in spending quality time with Maggie, and enjoy every minute of time with her; we know how blessed we are to have her along on this joyride.

Maggie has been walking since about 10 months old, and boy does she get around quickly. Her favorite things to play with are cell phones and tupperware. Oh yeah, and the dog's food and water dishes. And the dog's bone. And stuff in the trash (what is it about kids and dogs liking to play with tissues?). Did I mention that she likes to unroll the toilet paper from the roll? Basically she favors the items we thought we had baby-proofed.

The real treat though is that she now has a few words in her vocabulary. "Dada" seems to be her most-used word. Occasionally she's kind enough to throw in a few "Mama's" but that's just because that word seems to make her giggle. She's getting close to saying "dog" but right now it comes out as "da" when she sees Molly or another neighborhood dog. She also knows "ball". However the word she uses the most comes out as "sht".....we hope it's not what it sounds like and we really try NOT to be entertained when we hear her say this. We hope she's just playing with different sounds!

Maggie's party was a lot of fun and family celebrated with us: Aunt Megan, Uncle Rick, Morgan & Bailey; Grandma & Poppy; Grammy & Grandpa; Aunt Meghan & Tommy; Aunt Judy & Uncle John (guess that would be Great Aunt Judy & Great Uncle John). It was great to have everyone there to celebrate with us, and we know there were some special people who were celebrating with us in spirit if not in person.

Our First Blog

2008-03-05T22:23:00.000-05:00

There have been many "firsts" for this family in the past five years. A marriage, a house, a dog, a Maggie, and now, our first blog. Whether you like what you see or what we have to say, or you're still trying to figure out what the heck we're doing and thinking, we hope you enjoy reading this and keeping up with what's going on in our lives.

I have to give my friend Jen credit for introducing us to this whole blogging world (or should I thank Rob?) because after seeing the Jones' family blog, I thought "why can't I do that?" Now, I don't pretend to be as creative a writer as Rob, but we'll do our best to keep you updated!